Nothing I Wouldn't Do
by mikaylaxsalvatore
Summary: Ashley must return to Mystic Falls when she begins to see visions of the events that occur there. She's willing to do whatever it takes to protect her hometown, even if it means revealing the secrets of her past and her connection to the Salvatore boys.
1. New Beginnings

This is my first fanfiction in years, so please tell me what you think. This is about a girl that used to live in Mystic Falls. She has special abilities that make her a big help to the gang, but she has a very intriguing past. This is the first story I'm writing that I'm not planning out every detail of. I'm kind of just going with it and seeing how I want it to play out. I hope everyone enjoys it!

**New Beginnings**

This was never part of the plan. I came back to help, not to cause an even bigger catastrophe. I never wanted anybody to get hurt. I never wanted anybody to die. I just wanted to protect the town I once lived in and the people I once loved. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Let's rewind a little bit. Back to the late Spring of 2009, where it all began...

I pulled my car into my old, familiar driveway. It was really strange being back here. I felt like I wasn't supposed to be here, in a way I couldn't really explain. We still owned our old house. My mom didn't feel right about selling it. She said we could come back and use it whenever we got homesick. I smiled to myself as I got out of the car and slammed the door shut. I entered the house I had grown up in, allowing myself to feel nostalgic for a moment or two. I gazed across the street and felt a heaviness in my chest. I knew what I had to do, but I wasn't exactly sure how it was supposed to be done.

It was extremely difficult to convince my mother to let me do this. But she knew I wouldn't take no for an answer. She knew I couldn't just stand idly by and let my friends die. She understood that I had to do what I could to protect them. And that's exactly what I intended to do.

My friends. The thought turned my stomach. I hadn't told a single one of them that I was coming back. Nobody knew I was here, and that was the way it needed to stay for now. I was way in over my head, and I completely knew it. I was taking on an extremely tricky and dangerous task. If I made one bad move, everything would fall apart. I couldn't let that happen. I'd die first.

I couldn't keep myself from thinking about what I had to do tomorrow. I curled up in the bed I had slept in every night until about two years ago. Every time I tried to close my eyes to sleep, the vision replayed in my mind. There was nothing I could do to stop it from playing. But I sure as hell was going to stop it from happening.

I woke up the next morning, and began to get ready on autopilot. I showered, brushed my teeth, got dressed, and slapped on some makeup. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I still wasn't entirely used to what I saw looking back at me. When I had made the decision to return to Mystic Falls, I decided I should try to blend in. At least in the beginning. My signature golden blonde hair was now a cool brown. Where once it was long enough to touch my butt, it now fell only a couple of inches past my shoulders. Plus, I had changed a lot in two years. At a first glance, I wouldn't even recognize me, let alone any of my old friends. I spent much of the day doing little things to keep me occupied. I had to stay out of sight, or the whole plan would go awry. I didn't know why I needed to stay hidden, I just knew that it was essential. I began to watch television to distract me from what I'd be doing later that night. Soon, the day turned into night and zero hour was closing in. My body knew I was hungry, but my head disagreed. Finally, after much debate, my stomach and mind reached a compromise. I ate six potato chips and tossed the bag onto the table. I looked over at the clock and grabbed my keys. It was time.

I got in the car and drove straight to Wickery Bridge. I began to grow nervous that what I saw was wrong. I thought of all the things that could go wrong. I forced myself to push these thoughts out of my brain. I couldn't let emotions interfere with what had to be done. I had to remain on autopilot. I was standing in the spot I was supposed to be in. Any second now...

And then I saw what I had been waiting for. And I did what I had planned all along, "Stefan! Stefan Salvatore!"

A rustling could be heard from the surrounding bushes. I gulped, trying to digest the situation I had gotten myself into. "Do I know you?"

"Not anymore," I said, spinning around nervously, "I don't have time to explain right now, and I get that you're going to think I'm insane. But I'm going to prove to you that I'm not. See that car? It's about to drive off the bridge and plunge into the water. You can't stop it from happening altogether. It's going to be a girl and her parents. The girl - you're meant to save her. You need to pull her out of the car. Quick, it's about to happen. You're going to think she's Katherine, but believe me, she's not Katherine. Okay?"

"How do you - "

"Please, Stefan! There isn't any time. You're supposed to do this. It's got to happen. It's not her time, yet! I'll explain everything later, I swear to you. But I'm begging you - "

"All right, I'll do it. I'll help," Stefan agreed, and just then, a loud splash was heard. The two of them spun around, and in the blink of an eye, Stefan was gone. I ran to the edge of the bridge and watched. I couldn't see what was going on. I had to just wait for Stefan to resurface. I was breathing heavily, frightened by what I was seeing. I shook my head violently. I had to detach myself from what was going on so that I'd be able to do what I was supposed to do.

A moment or two later, I saw him levitating out of the water, holding the girl I used to be best friends with in his arms. He was staring at her face in pure disbelief. I grapsed her arm and focused. I saw her, waking up in a hospital bed. I saw Matt, Bonnie, Jeremy, and Caroline surrounding her. I saw agony and I saw tears. But she was alive. Elena was alive.

I breathed a sigh of relief, "She'll be okay. Set her down, here. I'm going to call an ambulence and then we need to get as far from here as we can."

"Who are you? And who is she?" Stefan inquired, his face shocked.

"There will be all the time in the world for that soon, Stefan. But for right now, I'm really going to need you to cooperate with me," I said, pulling out prepaid cell phone I had reserved for this very occassion. I punched in the numbers and called an ambulence for my friend. Then, I looked deeply into Stefan's eyes, "Please, get in my car," I pleaded.

Stefan seemed to be struggling with his thoughts, but eventually he must have decided I was harmless, because he got in the passenger seat and we took off. I drove like a madwoman, not saying a single word the whole ride. Then, Stefan looked at his surroundings confusedly, "You're taking me to my house?" he asked, noticing that we were headed in that direction.

"No," I answered, not looking at him, "We're going to mine."

I pulled into the driveway and Stefan shook his head in confusion, "You live here? Across the street from me, I mean?"

"I used to," I replied vaguely, "It feels like a lifetime ago, though," I giggled, despite the situation, "You know a thing or two about that, don't you, Stefan?"

He turned his head slowly to get a good look at me, "You know?"

I nodded, "I do. And I swear, Stefan, I'm only here to help. I'm not here to expose you or hurt you. And I know you're not going to hurt me. That's why I'm not afraid of you." I got out of the car and Stefan followed suit. We both walked up to the door and I stepped inside. I spun on my heel quickly, "I know you won't make me regret this, Stefan... I hereby invite you in."

Stefan looked like he _almost_ wanted to laugh, but the strange situation he found himself in must have given him second thoughts. He nodded and followed me into the parlor. "Would you like a drink?" I asked, "And no, I'm not offering you any of me."

Stefan cracked a smile, "I didn't think so."

"I have scotch," I offered, holding the bottle up.

"That would be fine, thank you," Stefan said uneasily. I poured him a glass and held it out to him.

"I'll be right back," I said, turning around and going into the back room of the house. I opened a container and fished out a Poland Spring bottle. When I returned, Stefan's glass was already empty, "This should be a little bit more of what you're craving. I warn you, it's not fresh, but something tells me you don't care. It's not human, either."

"What is it?" he inquired, holding his hand out for the bottle of blood.

"Deer," I answered, pouring myself a glass of vodka, "I found it in the woods right before I moved. Figured it might come in handy some day. I'm Ashley, by the way. Ashley Brooks."

"You look a lot like someone I used to know, Ashley. And how was it that I knew - "

"That I wasn't a threat to you? This isn't the first time we're meeting, Stefan. Just the first time in this life," I said mysteriously, "Besides, maybe because I looked familiar to you, you associated me with this person you knew."

"What does that mean?" Stefan asked perplexedly, "The first time in this life?"

"All in good time, Stefan. All in good time," I smirked, "But we have more pressing issues to attend to at the moment. I realize I have a lot of explaining to do, and I intend to tell you everything. The only real question is where to begin. I grew up here, in Mystic Falls, just like you did. Granted, it's no longer the Mystic Falls you knew. I'm not entirely human, Stefan."

"So, what are you?" Stefan asked, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head, "I honestly don't know. I know I'm part witch, but there's something different about me than the other witches I've known. I can do things that they can't. I don't think I'm a full witch. I never knew my father, and I think that it has something to do with him, but my mom never talks about him. Anyway, not the point. The point is that that girl I had you rescue, she used to be my best friend. I moved back here from the city because I was supposed to. It was her parents time, but it wasn't Elena's. And then I realized I had to do something about it. Elena was meant to be saved. You were meant to meet me, and her. But I was afraid you would think she was Katherine - "

"How do you know about Katherine?" Stefan demanded.

"I knew her a long time ago," I admitted, "I knew her very well, actually. The important thing here is that a few months ago, I was holding a bracelet that Elena had given me, and I saw the future. I saw the car accident and I saw you saving her."

"Did you see anything else?" Stefan questioned intensely.

"Nothing I can reveal without seriously messing up the future," I answered apologetically.

"How did you know I would be in the woods?" Stefan asked.

I shook my head, "I just did. I saw you saving her in my vision and that had to mean you were close enough to save her. So, I called out to you and hoped for the best."

"What if I hadn't been there?" he asked darkly.

I bit my lower lip, "I would've had to go in myself, wouldn't I? You're a lot harder to kill and a lot stronger than I am. I might not have even been able to open the door, but I knew that wouldn't be a problem for you."

Stefan nodded slowly, "So, you're clairvoyant?"

"You don't miss a thing, do you, Stefan?" I joked lightheartedly.

"When you said that this isn't the first time we're meeting - "

I winced, "Damn. I sort of thought that with everything you'd forget I mentioned that. But what's done is done, right? I went by a different name in the 1800s, Stefan. Maybe you remember it - "

"Gabriella," Stefan whispered, "I remember you. I would've thought you were her, but we both know Gabriella died a long time ago. I thought maybe you were a descendant or something along those lines. Your hair is darker and your skin is lighter. But otherwise, you're the spitting image. I - I don't understand..."

"Neither do I," I confessed with a half-smile, "People aren't supposed to recall their past lives. But I do. Every single one of them."

Stefan thought for a couple of seconds, "Maybe it has something to do with you being mixed. Your mom being a witch and your dad being - whatever he was. Psychic, maybe?"

"Maybe," I said softly, "Hey, Stefan?"

"What?" he asked, looking completely paralyzed with shock.

"Don't tell Damon I'm here, okay? At least... Don't tell him Gabriella is. It would ruin everything," I begged, looking deep into his blue eyes.

"Even if I had any interest in telling Damon, he isn't here. I haven't seen him in years," Stefan stated without emotion.

"What?" I was surprised, "You and Damon? But you two were so close."

"That was a long time ago," he replied absently.

"I guess I've missed a lot since I died, huh?" I poured myself another glass of vodka, "I'm sorry. About everything that happened back in 1864."

Stefan nodded appreciatively, "So am I."

"So, what made you remember?" I wondered.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked unsurely.

"How did you know I was Gabriella?" I asked, my voice cracking, "I mean, I know I look almost exactly the same, but... But you thought I died in 1864. And as far as I know, you had no clue about past lives. So, how did you know?"

Stefan looked thoughtful for a minute, "I thought you looked like her. But it wasn't just that. When you said please, Stefan, I sort of had déjà vu, and when you said in another life, I thought of my life before becoming a vampire, and I just had this feeling..."

He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed, "I'm so sorry about what happened to you, Gabriella. It was my fault. I never meant for it to happen. Not to you or anybody else for that matter."

I shrugged, "It was a lifetime ago."


	2. Hashing Out The Past

Okay well I worked extremely hard to get the second chapter done before bed. Two chapters in one day is either a sign of determination, or a sign that I have absolutely no life. Either way, I hope you like it, and please review.

Hashing Out The Past

_-Flashback to 1861-_

"I can't believe that our town is going to be celebrating its first birthday already," said Daisy, "The last year has passed by rather quickly, has it not?"

I smiled as I finished putting on my gown, "It certainly has. Is Chester escorting you to the party?"

Daisy smiled coyly, "No. As lovely as Chester is, he's hardly the sort of date you show off. I secured us _both_ dates with two of the most eligible bachelors in town."

I gave my friend a disapproving look, "And just when were you going to tell me this?"

"I wasn't," she answered simply, "My plan was to just introduce him as your escort. That way it would be too late to say no."

I shook my head, "I'm perfectly capable of finding a date of my own, you know."

"Oh, is that right?" Daisy smirked, "Where is he, then?"

"Never you mind," I snapped, "Well, who are they now?"

"Stefan and Damon Salvatore," Daisy replied, "They're incredibly handsome. And they're from one of the founding families."

"As am I," I reminded her, "Does that make me any more desirable?"

"No, seeing as not a soul knows you're related to the Fell's."

"And that's exactly the way I like it," I stated, "I'm much prouder of grandmother's side of the family. My grandfather's side likes to drop names to get what they want. My grandmother's works for it."

"Well, Stefan and Damon are great. I met them last week in the town square. As close as two brothers could be," she told me.

"And which one will be my escort?" I questioned, "Surely which ever one you deem to be less attractive."

Daisy grinned, "Very well. Since I went ahead and did this behind your back, you can have your pick."

"And who is yours?" I teased.

"It honestly doesn't make a difference to me," Daisy said, "I'd be happy to accompany either one of them."

As the two girls finished getting ready, a knock could be heard at the door. Daisy practically squealed as she made her way down the staircase. I followed, considerably less excited than she was. She swung the door open and there stood two of the most handsome men I had ever seen.

"Hello," Daisy said, smiling sweetly at the boys, "This is Gabriella Novelli. Gabriella, this is Stefan and Damon Salvatore."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," I said, curtsying at the two.

"The pleasure is all mine," said Damon, as he grasped her hand and kissed it.

"It's nice to meet you, Gabriella. A fellow Italian, I gather," Stefan added.

"Indeed," I responded, "I don't remember much of Italy as I was only four when we moved here. So, which one of you gentlemen will be my escort this evening?"

The two brothers exchanged a look that I couldn't quite figure out. I could sense that they weren't comfortable choosing amongst themselves. "Or we could make it a game of chance," I suggested, noticing that they were struggling with the choice.

"And how would we do that?" Damon inquired.

"Hmm... Let's see then. How about you two gentlemen guess which month I was born in? Whomever guesses correctly shall be my date."

"Fair enough," Stefan nodded, "March?"

I shook my head and locked eyes with Damon, "Your turn."

"July?" he guessed.

"No. Keep guessing," I said, looking at Stefan, "Go on."

"April?" he suggested.

I grinned, "That's right. You win... Or lose, depending on how you look at it."

Stefan smiled, "I'll count it as a win."

"Shall we go, then?" Daisy asked, grabbing her shawl from the front closet. She handed me mine as well and I thanked her.

_- Present Day -_

There was nothing I wanted more than to run down to the hospital and see Elena. I wanted to see all of my old friends, for that matter. But I had to control myself. I couldn't reveal that I was back in town until it was time to go back to school. I'd have to get along by myself for another three months. It was only day three and I was already starting to feel myself going crazy. I found myself reminiscing about the early years of Mystic Falls. Before all of the madness began.

The only person who knew I was in town was Stefan. And it kind of worked out, because I was the only person who knew he was in town. Stefan and I had been very close back in the 1800s. It's kind of strange, thinking of Gabriella as me. But she was. A knock sounded from the front of the house and I hurried to the window to see who it was.

I opened the door and stepped aside, "Come on in. What can I do for you?"

"There were some questions I never got answers to," Stefan said, not beating around the bush, "I'd like some now."

I nodded slowly, worried about where this was going, "All right. What do you want to know?" I gestured for him to take a seat on the couch, and he did.

"The night we met," Stefan began, not sure how to express himself, "Did you know what was going to happen to us? To Damon and I?"

I shook my head, "No. I never saw anything like that. A year before you met Katherine, I saw you and him in bed with her. But I never saw her feeding on you, compelling you, or turning you."

"Why did you play that guessing game with us the night we met? Why didn't you just choose?" Stefan asked.

"I had a few reasons for that. The first, I saw the way you two looked at each other. I could tell neither of you wanted to go for it, just in case the other did. I respected that. The other... I just had this feeling. Like, if I chose between you, it would trigger something... I know it sounds ridiculous, but something in my gut told me not to do it."

"It didn't matter whether you chose or not," Stefan sighed, "If it wasn't you, it was Katherine..."

"You two always did have similar taste in women," I smirked, "But I had this thing about not driving a wedge between brothers, so I didn't pursue either of you until I knew it wouldn't hurt the other."

"I appreciate that," Stefan said sincerely.

_ - Flashback to 1861-_

"Shall we dance, Miss Novelli?"

I turned around and smiled, "I would be delighted, Mr. Salvatore. But first, I have to ask my date. What do you say, Mr. Salvatore?"

"I say watch out for my brother's two left feet," he said with a wink.

I giggled and allowed myself to be led onto the floor by Damon, "And where is _your_ date?" I asked.

"She went to mingle with the other guests," Damon replied, "Besides, if it weren't for my horrid intuition, I could very well be your date."

I smiled, "Well, Daisy is a wonderful companion."

"She's a great girl," Damon agreed, "How long have you two been friends?"

"For a few years now," I answered, "I'm surprised I've lived here all this time and never come across you and your brother."

"Tragic, isn't it?" Damon joked, "Speaking of my brother, how are you enjoying his company?"

"He's a perfect gentlemen," I responded, "Very attentive."

"That's my little brother," Damon muttered, "But in all honesty, you won't find many like him."

"And what about you, Damon?"

"What about me?" he asked as we continued to twirl around to the music.

"Stefan's the quiet, attentive, chivalrous one. So which one does that make you?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"One day when we know each other better, I'll ask you to tell me," Damon said mysteriously, wiggling his eyebrows in a playful manner.

"And who's to say we'll know each other any better someday?" I teased.

Damon pretended to look hurt. Then, he went back to looking cocky, "I guarantee it."

The evening drew to a close and the guests began to leave. Daisy, Stefan, Damon, and I piled into a carriage and took off. We stopped at Daisy's house first, and Damon walked her to her front door. He gave her a polite kiss on the cheek before she disappeared into the house.

"Where do you live, Gabriella?" Stefan questioned.

"Down the road about five minutes," I replied, "It's the big stone house with the ridiculous gate out front."

"Oh, I believe I know which one you're speaking of," Stefan replied, "Did you have a nice evening?"

"It was marvelous. Thank you for escorting me, Stefan," I said, smiling at the younger Salvatore brother.

"Anytime," he said, his face lighting up, "Perhaps you would like to meet again tomorrow? If you don't have any prior engagements, that is."

"That sounds wonderful," I said with a smile, "Damon? What does your schedule look like tomorrow?"

"I'm free as a bird," Damon replied, "Where shall the three of us meet?"

"How about here? My parents are off visiting my uncle for the week. I'm all alone here," I explained.

"Perfect," Damon said, "See you then."

"I'll see you both tomorrow," I said, leaning in to give them both a peck on the cheek. Stefan helped me out of the carriage and walked me to my door, "I really had a great time getting to know you, Stefan. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow."

"As do I," he said, smiling at me, "Goodnight, Gabriella."

"Goodnight, Stefan."

_-Present Day-_

"You were totally into me!" I teased, "We have deer, bunny, and bear on the menu, by the way."

"I'll go for the bear, thanks," Stefan said as I tossed him the bottle, "And don't pretend like you weren't attracted to me as well."

I rolled my eyes, "Well, obviously you're hot, Stefan."

"Do you ever wonder about it?" Stefan asked quietly.

"About what?" I asked unsurely.

"Do you ever wonder what would've happened if we hadn't gotten into that fight? I probably never would've met Katherine. I probably never would've turned - Or forced Damon to for that matter."

"Do I ever wonder if we would've been together?" I asked.

Stefan nodded, "That too."

"I wonder about all of it, Stefan," I confessed, "It was hard for me, too, Stefan. I mean, I was the one with the choice. I could've simply chosen one of you over the other but I couldn't."

"Because you didn't want to hurt one of us or because you couldn't decide?"

"You want to know the truth, Stefan? Once and for all?" We locked eyes for a moment before Stefan answered.

"Yes."

"You were the perfect brother, the perfect friend, the perfect son, and you were a perfect man, Stefan. You are perfect. But Damon was perfect for me," After almost a century and a half of keeping that to myself, the truth was finally out there, "I didn't love him in spite of his flaws, I loved him because of them. But you... You were the best friend I've ever had, and I say that after all eight of my lives. I never felt so comfortable with anyone before. I was never so okay with being exactly who I was. I felt like I could share anything with you and never be judged for it. I wanted so bad to be in love with you, Stefan. I thought I was for a while, but it was never the same feeling I got around Damon. It was always Damon for me. The same way it was always you for Katherine. The difference is, I didn't choose and she did."

"That was beyond selfless," Stefan told me gently, "You gave up a chance at love because you didn't want to hurt me. You really never told Damon how you felt?"

"I only ever told him that I cared for him. Just as I did with you," I whispered, "About a year after we first met, I realized you and I were meant to be friends. I realized that even though I was attracted to you, we were perfect just as we were. I'm sorry, Stefan."

Stefan nodded, "I'm sure Damon would pay good money to hear you say that."

I shook my head, "The Damon I loved is gone now. I had a friend of mine look him up about a year ago. There's nothing worth loving left inside of him. Besides, he's still in love with Katherine. Once she came along it was as if I never existed."

Stefan shook his head, "That's not true. He talked about you all the time. He was just trying to get on with his life, you know? It hurt him too much to think about you."

"How do you know so much about Katherine anyway? She didn't come along until after you - "

"Who do you think turned me in the first place, Stefan?" I demanded.

His jaw dropped and he was speechless for a few seconds, "But why?"

"She turned me so when the time was right, she could pin the local deaths on me. To take the heat off of herself," I said, disgusted, "I thought of leaving, of starting a new life somewhere else, but she told me she'd find me eventually, and that this time I'd be dead for good. But eventually she set her sights on you two, and struck up a deal. She told me she wouldn't go through with it if I left town. I tried to return, but when I did, she threatened to kill you both if I ever came back. I missed you two so much, but I had to let you go."

"So, when you died... When I found you with your neck snapped - "

"I wasn't really dead. I mean, I was dead at the time, but I was in transition. I wish you hadn't blamed yourself all these years. It was her, not you. It was all her fault."

"I thought - "

"You thought my father did it after he caught you and me hanging out in my bedroom."

"Yeah," Stefan nodded.

"He did," I said, holding back tears.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked, searching my face for answers.

"After you left, my father started hitting me and knocking me around the room. Katherine appeared, after tricking my mother to invite her in. She walked in on what my father was doing to me. She came in screaming stop, and I thought I was saved. She only made him stop long enough to cut open her wrist and forcefeed me her blood. After that, she told him to continue and not to stop until I was dead. He obeyed, and then he killed himself. I'll never know if she compelled him to do it, or if he did it on his own. And now you know everything, Stefan."

"Gabriella..."

"It's Ashley now, Stefan. I may have Gabriella inside of me, but she's only a small portin of who I am."

_-Flasback to 1863-_

"Gabriella?"

I took a deep breath and looked up. "Hello, Damon. How are you this afternoon?"

"Quite well, and yourself?"

"Better now," I grinned. I stood and gave him a hug, "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too," he said truthfully, "All of this time away has made me realize something. I know we had this talk in the past, and I'm fully aware of your position. But I know that I will regret it for an eternity if I don't say what I have to say."

"Damon - Please - "

"Gabriella, I need to, I'm sorry."

I stared at him for a couple of moments before sighing in defeat, "Very well, then."

"I love you. I'm completely, madly, undeniably in love with you. I've never felt this way about anyone before. I'm sick and tired of pretending like we're only friends. I want more, Gabriella. I want you, forever," Damon said, looking depply into my eyes. My heart began to melt and all I wanted was to tell him I felt the same way.

"Damon - "

"Don't put on this act anymore, Gabriella! I simply can't stand it. I know you feel the same way. I get that you may have feelings for my brother as well..."

"We can't be together, Damon," I said softly, "Maybe in another life."

Damon's eyes were wide with the pain he was feeling. He looked as if someone had just jabbed a needle into him. He looked like he was being deflated. I wanted more than anything to tell him how I felt, to kiss him and be with him. I felt a lump in my throat and thought that I was going to cry.

"I think you should go, Damon. This isn't right," I insisted, opening the front door.

He said nothing. He just turned around and walked away.

Okay, so remember to let me know what you think, I would sincerely appreciate it. Thanks!


	3. Back to School

**Okay, here's chapter three! This is where Elena makes her first conscious appearance. Now, I wrote the story from Ashley's POV because if I wrote it from a third person perspective, I'd be forced to write exact lines from the show, which I see done in a lot of fanfiction. I don't like that, because fanfictions are supposed to be your own creation, it shouldn't be a script of every episode, with slightly different events. So, while the same stuff from the show is going to be happening, you get to see it from a different side, and instead of writing exact words from the show, a lot is just going to be implied. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, even though it's not as long as the previous two. And thanks to ****bookfreak25**** for being my first and only reviewer : ) I really appreciate it! xoxo**

Back to School

I had been in Mystic Falls for three months. By the third week, I had already begun to go crazy. All I wanted was to act like a normal teenager. I wanted to hang out at the Grill with Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline. I wanted to have parties in the woods. I wanted to walk around town without worrying about being seen.

The only thing keeping me from ripping every last hair out of my head was Stefan. We were outcasts together, and spent a lot of time catching up on everything that happened in the past 145 years. And I did the same.

"Hey, Ashley?" Stefan said after finishing his bottle of fox.

"Yeah?" I answered automatically, not looking up from the television.

"How did you die?"

That caught my attention. My head shot up and I met his eyes with my own. That had completely caught me off guard. "I died in a fire."

"How long after turning?" he asked.

"About four years," I answered, "I wasn't a vampire for very long. I had finally accepted it all, too. I was just starting to move on from my life in Mystic Falls, I had just begun to control the urge to go home and find you two. I never thought I'd be able to start a new life. For the first three years, I was by myself. I didn't speak to anyone, I was distraught over everything that happened back home. And then I met a human who I started seeing. Things were good for a while, but he must've caught on to what I really was, because he laced my tea with vervain. He dragged me off to this little cabin in the woods and threw me inside. Then, he set the place on fire with me inside of it. The door was the first to catch fire and there were no windows, so I burned alive."

"I'm... I'm so sorry," Stefan said, his eyes filled with rage and disbelief, "I can't believe it."

"Turns out he was a vampire hunter," I shrugged, "I got my revenge, though."

"How?" Stefan wondered.

"In my next life, I was a woman named Claire. That was three years after Gabriella's death. When I was sixteen, I went looking for the man that murdered me. He was approaching his forties, but he was still the same man I had known. I watched him for months before I got the courage to do it. I had to keep reminding myself I wasn't a vampire anymore. I wished I were, since killing comes much more naturally. One day, I followed him home and set his house on fire when he got inside. And then, I returned to Mystic Falls to search for you and your brother. I was told that you had both been killed, and I fell apart. I was an inconsolable wreck. I had been so sure that I was given a second chance, but you were both gone. I tried to find out about what Katherine was up to, but I was told she had perished in the fire.

"It wasn't until Claire was close to the end of her life that I realized you were a vampire and not dead. I was visiting my daughter who had moved to Chicago a few years prior, and I walked by a bar, and I saw you with a blonde woman. And I swear, Stefan, I just sat there and watched for, like, half an hour. I couldn't believe it, I was in complete shock. I wanted to go inside more than anything, but I knew that I shouldn't. I figured it was much better to let Gabriella stay dead. Besides, I didn't want you to see me so old, while you still looked exactly the same as I remembered you. I figured Katherine had turned you, and then I wondered for years if she had done the same to Damon.

"It wasn't until 1946, when I was a woman named Rachel that I was able to track down Damon. And then I discovered what he had become and I was devestated. That was the moment where I realized I had to let it all go. I couldn't keep spending all of my lives wondering about the two of you. I had to start a new life, one of my own, where I wasn't desperately holding on to the past anymore. Remembering everything the way I do - It's a curse, Stefan. Sometimes I think of getting someone to turn me again. That way I wouldn't ever have to go through the pain of starting a whole new life while I'm still deeply connected to the one before."

"It's a good thing you didn't come inside," Stefan mumbled.

"Why's that? Didn't want the image of me with gray hair imprinted in your brain forever?" I joked.

"No, it's not that," he said softly, "I just - I wasn't someone you would've wanted to know back then. I did some terrible things, Ashley."

"Damon bad?" I questioned.

He nodded, "Damon bad doesn't even begin to cover it. I made him look like the good brother."

"You?" I was shocked, "I couldn't imagine."

"Yeah, but I straightened up. It took a really long time, but I've given up human blood, as you can tell. I've become much more relaxed in my old age," he added with a forced half-smile.

"I can't believe its only a couple of days until I start school here," I said, changing the subject, "It's going to be so surreal."

"Speaking of which, I think I'm going to enroll, too," Stefan informed me.

I raised an eyebrow questioningly, "How come?"

"I want a normal life," Stefan shrugged, "What better place to start one then in the town I lived in the last time I had a normal life?"

"And this has nothing to do with Elena?" I asked, looking at him knowingly, "You've been watching her again, haven't you?"

"I just can't figure it out," he said frustratedly, "Why does she look so much like Katherine?"

"I told you," I sighed, "She's probably Katherine's reincarnation. Except the difference is, she won't remember ever being Katherine."

"Maybe," he said thoughtfully, "I just wish I knew for sure."

"Stefan, do me a favor, okay? If you're going to pursue Elena, don't do it for the wrong reasons. She's a sweet, innocent girl. Don't go after her because of her resemblence to Katherine. She's an individual person. If you're going to do it, do it because you have a genuine interest in getting to kow her."

Stefan nodded his head slowly, "I know."

I drew in a deep breath. This was it. I had been waiting for this moment all summer, and now that it was here, all I wanted to do was run off in the opposite direction. I tried my best to shake it off as I walked through the front doors of Robert E. Lee High School and walked straight to the office. I looked around, but I didn't see Stefan anywhere. Maybe he was having second thoughts? I was all signed up, and ready to go to class. On my way out of the office, I bumped into him.

"I thought you were going to chicken out," I said, grinning at him.

"No, just running a little late," Stefan said distractedly, "I'll see you around, I guess."

"Yeah, sure," I said, stepping aside to let him into the office, "Holy shit!" I squealed, running towards the girl who had once been my best friend.

"Ashley? What the hell are you doing here?" Elena's eyes were wide as she ran over to give me a hug.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," I said as we pulled apart, "Nobody knew I was coming."

"Your family moved back?" she asked, looking me up and down as if to make sure it was really me.

"Not exactly," I told her, biting my lower lip, "I moved back into my old house alone."

"You moved back without your mom? I can't believe she'd let you do that," Elena said, just as a voice behind us screamed, "Ashley! Is that you?"

I spun around and grinned. Bonnie and Caroline stood behind me, their arms outstretched for hugs. I repeated the same story to them that I had just got through telling Elena, and then, Stefan must have been spotted, because all three of my friends were staring beyond me like lovesick schoolgirls.

"That's Stefan," I told them as they continued to check him out, "He lives in the house across the street from me. He moved here not long before I did."

"And is there anything going on between you and this Stefan?" Caroline wondered.

I shook my head, "Nope."

"Good, then he's fair game," she said, wiggling her eyebrows at us.

"Good luck," I said, casting a sideways glance at Elena. Poor Caroline. She didn't even realize that she didn't stand a chance.

I was slowly slipping back into my old routine. I was doing all of the things I had missed terribly. It felt so natural and right. Elena and Caroline had both talked to Stefan. Well, Elena talked. Caroline flirted. Typical. The first week really did fly by. And even though I returned to Mystic Falls for a very particular reason, I found myself feeling like I was home for the first time in two years, and it really did feel good.

The only thing that slightly got to me throughout the week was when Vicki Donovan was attacked. She was supposedly attacked by an animal in the woods. She took a bite to the neck. As someone who has had plenty of first-hand experience with vampires, I was suspicious at the very least. I wasn't suspicious of Stefan because I knew him and I knew his intentions. All he wanted was to build a life for himself here. He wouldn't go and ruin that. It was somebody else. The only questions still on my mind was who did it and why? Was Vicki targeted or was it just bad luck?

I had been good friends with Vicki Donovan when we were younger. As we got to high school, we began to grow apart because of her habit of popping pills. The drinking and the weed smoking was fine by me. I joined her most of the time when it came to that. But the pills could cause serious damage, and I grew tired of watching her hurt herself that way, so I was forced to let her go about a year before we moved. The pills began to effect her personality, too. The sweet girl I had once known had become a spiteful, cynical bitch. I caught her bad-mouthing Elena a couple of times, who used to be her friend. I understand that she was protective of her little brother, and in all fairness, Elena did break Matt's heart, but still.

Mystic Falls is a reasonably small town. How many vampires could be roaming the streets, anyway? Why would a vampire even want to bother wasting their time here? The generally prefer to live in big cities, not towns like this where everyone knows everyone. It's too risky to their lifestyle. Whoever's here must have a reason.

I heard a frantic banging at my front door and quickly answered it. I was greeted by what could only be described as a panic-stricken Stefan.

"What's wrong?" I demanded, thrown off by how hard his features had become.

"It's Damon," he said, "He's back."


	4. Face to Face

**Well, here it is. My fourth chapter in two days. This is the moment I've been dying to write since I came up with the idea for this story, so please, please review!**

Face to Face

I was frozen. There was so much that I wanted to say, but I just couldn't. The part of me that is Gabriella was over the moon. All she wanted was to see him. The mention of his name made her heart skip a beat. But then there was the Ashley side. The part of me that was friends with Vicki Donovan, the part of me that now knew that Damon had made a meal out of her.

I had never felt so mixed up before. This had completely thrown me off, and all I could do was stare at Stefan with this stupid expression on my face. But he didn't push me to react. He didn't try to get me to say anything. He knew exactly how I was feeling, because in his own way, he was feeling it, too. The part of him that had grown up with Damon, the part of him that still felt the bond they shared as brothers, wanted to see his big brother. But he knew that was impossible. Damon wasn't here for any brotherly bonding. He was here to wreak havoc. The Stefan that knew better was already thinking of ways to drive Damon out of town.

"What do we do?" I said so softly, Stefan probably wouldn't have heard me if it weren't for the whole vampire thing.

Stefan shook his head, "I don't know." He clenched his jaw shut and stared off into space for a moment.

"What happened?" I forced myself to ask.

"He knows," Stefan murmured, "He knows about Elena. He's going to cause trouble, I know it."

"Maybe he won't," I told him, not truly believing it. I had heard many stories of the things Damon has done over the years. Needless to say, he wasn't exactly a humanitarian.

"You don't honestly believe that, do you?"

I shook my head, "No, I don't... He doesn't know about me, does he?"

"If he does, he didn't say anything about it," Stefan answered, "Which means he doesn't know. I don't think he'd be able to refrain from questioning me about how you're here or why I didn't tell him."

"Why would you? It's not like you two are so close. You haven't seen him in over a decade!" I cried.

"A decade and a half to be exact," Stefan corrected.

"So, what, he's just living with you now?" I questioned, "Why would he even want to? No offense, but he hates you. Why would he want to be around you? Just to screw with you? He's got to be getting something out of this."

"He must have another motive for being here," Stefan agreed, "But if you think he's going to volunteer information like that, you're sadly mistaken. Damon's all about mind games."

"How did this happen to him?" I said, sitting down and running my fingers through my hair, "How is it that he went so wrong? I mean, look at you. Yeah, you went through your ripper phase and all of that, but you straightened yourself out. But Damon..."

"I know," Stefan said, leaning in and giving her a hug, "I know."

"I may care about him," I said, trying to keep myself composed, "but I will _not_ just stand by and let him hurt the people I love."

"What do you plan on doing? Staking him?" Stefan asked.

"If he hurts anymore of my friends and that's the only way I can make it stop, I may have to. We need to do something. I care about these people, Stefan, and to him, they're all just puppets and he's pulling the strings. It makes me sick," I said, looking him in the eye, "It would break my heart, don't get me wrong. But if it's him or them, I'm going to choose them."

"Do you think you'd be able to?" Stefan asked me seriously, "Do you think you'd be able to plunge a stake into his heart?"

I shook my head slowly, "I - I don't know. I hope so. What about Vicki? Is she going to be all right?"

"I'll make sure she is," Stefan said, squeezing my hand, "I promise, okay?"

"Why would he leave her alive? I mean, I'm not complaining or anything, don't get me wrong. But why wouldn't he just kill her?" I couldn't figure it out. Damon's usually not so sloppy.

"Because he's trying to pin it on me. He's playing games, Ashley. It's who he's become after a century of loneliness," Stefan explained, "There's not a shred of humanity left in there. He'd sacrafice any given man, woman, or child just to get a rise out of me. It's just the way he is."

Ashley woke up the next morning and stayed in bed thinking for a while. While the whole town was getting excited over the passing of a comet, she had more pressing issues on her mind. The thought that Damon could be right across the street right now worried her just as much as it eased her mind.

She could only let her thoughts her the better of her for so long. She had to get to school, and she had a very limited amount of time, but she just didn't care. Things like school just didn't seem as important to her anymore.

Ashley decided she needed a distraction. When she got to school, she made a beeline straight to Elena's locker.

"So how does it feel being back?" Elena asked as she pulled out her books.

"It's the first time I've felt like I was home in a couple of years now," I replied, "How's Jeremy, anyway? I've barely seen him."

"Yeah, you and everybody else at Robert E. Lee," Elena huffed, "He's been skipping out a lot. Ever since the accident, he's really made a mess out of his life. I feel bad and everything, but there's only so many times I can have the same talk with him and have him blow me off, you know?"

I nodded, "Yeah. He'll come around. Once he starts getting past it, he'll bounce back. I guarantee it."

"I hope you're right," Elena sighed, "I kind of miss my brother."

"So, what's the deal with you and Stefan? You're getting pretty chummy, I see," I said, lightening the mood a bit.

Elena looked at me through squinted eyes for a second. "You're sure you don't have a problem with that, right? I mean, you did see him first and all."

I rolled my eyes, "Please, Elena. If I wanted Stefan, I'd have him by now," I joked, "But seriously, go for it. You two would be great together. Trust me, I'd much rather have Stefan as a friend. He's been a good one and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Thanks, Ashley," she said, half-smiling, "Besides, I think I've got all the competition I can handle from Caroline."

"It's no contest, Elena," I said, glancing over at her as she shamelessly flirted with Stefan,"See that? That is the look of a boy who is feigning interest."

Elena grinned, "You think so?"

"I know so."

A couple of days later, I decided to head over to the Grill for a bite to eat. When I arrived, Elena was sitting with Bonnie, talking about something that seemed serious. Bonnie was hanging on to Elena's every word. I quickened the pace as I plopped down on a chair with them, "Hey guys. What are we talking about?"

"Stefan's brother," Elena stated grimly, "I was just telling Bonnie - "

"His brother?" I inquired, playing along. I hated having to lie, but it was so much easier than explaining the truth. Besides, whose to say they'd even believe me if I did?

"Yeah. Damon," Elena told me, looking worried.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"Something wrong, Ash?" Bonnie asked, looking at me strangely.

I shook my head, "No, nothing. I just...I didn't know he had a brother."

"Nobody did," Elena said, shaking her head, "I just don't get why Stefan would keep that a secret."

"They probably don't get along," I suggested.

"He told me about Stefan's ex. I don't think that he's over her and I'm really not interested in being someone's rebound," Elena looked incredibly torn and my heart broke for her. Damon was already meddling in Stefan's life, and Elena had to suffer for it.

"I wouldn't listen to him personally," I said casually, "I mean, what do you even know about this guy? He may just be trying to cause trouble. Especially if he and Stefan aren't on good terms."

Elena seemed to seriously think about my words, "Yeah, you're probably right."

"Well, you should talk to Stefan," Bonnie advised.

"You know what, I gotta go," I said, standing and putting on my sweater, "I'll text you guys, okay?"

"You didn't even order anything," Bonnie said, looking uncertain.

"Yeah, I kind of lost my apetite. See you later, guys," I said as I quickly walked out. I found myself in a predicament. I had to talk to Stefan, and I was pretty sure that he was home, but I couldn't risk the possibility of Damon being the one to answer the door. I wasn't ready for that. I wasn't sure I ever would be.

Luckily, my problems were short-lived. When I pulled up to my house, Stefan was already standing outside. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you," he replied, "Can I come inside?"

"That's funny because the whole drive here, I was trying to figure out how I could extract you from your house without Damon spotting me," I said, leading us into the kitchen, "I'm starving, though, so I'm going to have to eat while we talk."

"No problem," Stefan said, "I was at the hospital earlier. I overheard Matt saying that Vicki said she was attacked by a vampire. I had to go over there and compel her, but I don't know if I'm strong enough to make it stick for good."

"I can't believe Damon would sell you out like this. I can't believe he'd do all of this and just let you take the heat. He really is gone," I said, shaking my head in disbelief.

"What did you want to tell me?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, right," I said, as I made a plate of leftover chicken cutlets and mashed potatoes and stuck it in the microwave, "Damon told Elena about Katherine."

His eyes grew wide and he looked enraged, "Told her what?"

"Whatever he said, he gave Elena the idea that you're not over Katherine and that she's just a rebound. He told her how much you love Katherine and I think it kind of scared her off," I told him sympathetically, "I'm sorry, Stefan. I don't know what the fuck his problem is. Why can't he just let you live your life?"

"He promised me an eternity of misery," he said quietly, "This is just him keeping his word, I presume. He blames me for his being a vampire. He blames me for Katherine's death. And he blames me for yours. In his eyes, I'm the reason that everything good in his life was taken away. And the thing is, he's right."

"You didn't kill me, my father under Katherine's compulsion did. You didn't kill Katherine, she was dumb enough to get caught. And you may have convinced Damon to turn, but he always had a choice. He can't blame you, because when it comes down to it, it was his decision. And if he's ever regretted that choice in the last 145 years, then he could've easily ended it himself. He just doesn't want to accept responsibility. It's easier for him to be mad at you than at himself."

"I guess so," he said, but I could tell he wasn't totally sold.

"You should talk to Elena," I suggested.

"I will," Stefan said gently.

"Are you going to watch the comet?" I asked.

"I have to see," he said absently, "It's strange, isn't it?"

"What's strange?"

"You, me, and Damon back here in Mystic Falls. Me pursuing a girl that looks just like the one I lost. Going to high school together?" he was actually smiling, and it was very much contagious.

"It's absolutely ridiculous," I said in total agreement, "Never in a millenium would I have ever dreamed it."

As I was leaving school the next day, I heard a familiar voice shouting my name. I waited as Bonnie caught up to me. "What's up, Bonnie?"

"I was actually wondering how well you know Stefan," she said hesitantly.

"Why?" I asked, tilting my head to the side in confusion.

"I don't know, I just feel like something's not right there. I'm worried about Elena. I get this vibe," Bonnie said, trying to find the right words, "You must think I'm crazy."

"I don't think you're crazy," I said, "But I also don't think you have anything to worry about with Stefan. He's a good guy, Bonnie. I know him well enough to vouch for him." I squeezed her hand reassuringly, and then something extremely bizzare happened. I saw a series of images in my head. Bonnie starting fires, Bonnie bringing vampires to the ground with a simple look, Bonnie saying incantations in what I could only assume was latin. I gasped as they drew to a close. When I opened my eyes, Bonnie's eyes were filled with shock.

"It - It just happened to you," Bonnie said, pointing her index finger at me, "I know it did. You just - You saw something. Or at least fell something. Don't lie to me, Ashley. You're like me, aren't you?"

I was genuinely confused about that last part, "Like you? What do you mean, like you?"

She looked to her left, and then to her right, trying to make sure nobody was in earshot, "Psychic. I can tell, Ashley. The same thing happens to me - "

I shook my head, "No, I just got a chill, that's all, Bonnie. It wasn't anything. You're making it out to be more than what it was."

Bonnie shook her head, "Please, Ashley. Tell me the truth."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Bonnie," I said, turning on my heel and walking as fast as I could to my car.

Okay, so Bonnie was a witch. There was another witch living in Mystic Falls, and she just happened to be someone I had grown up with. What are the chances of that? What was next, fairies? Werewolves? I honestly couldn't even think about it.

How could I not have known before moving what Bonnie was? Unless she's just coming into her powers now. After a couple of hours of thinking about it, my brain began to grow tired. I felt guilty about lying to Bonnie, especially because I could sense that she just didn't want to be the only one. But the timing wasn't right. I couldn't have anyone figuring out what I was just yet. I wasn't ready for anybody else to know. I promised myself that the moment I was, I would confess to Bonnie so she wouldn't feel so isolated from everyone else.

I avoided Bonnie as best as I could for the next day or so. I was talking to Caroline in the hallway when I saw Bonnie walking down the hallway from the other side. I told Caroline that I had to go, but she grabbed my arm as I tried to walk away, "Wait a second," she said, but then it all happened again. I saw flashes of Caroline being fed on, Caroline being compelled, and Caroline having sex. But the worst part is, I saw the vampire doing all of this together, and I started choking. I coughed and began to gag and ran straight to the girl's bathroom.

I splashed some cold water on my face and spun around with incredible speed to see Bonnie standing there.

"I saw what just happened," she told me, "I saw what happened when Caroline touched you. You saw something that involved her, didn't you? Ashley, I swear, I won't tell anybody, I just - "

"Don't want to feel alone in this," I finished for her, "I get that. And I'm sorry, Bonnie. I just - I couldn't talk about it. Having that conversation would only cause you to ask me what I saw, and I'm sorry, Bonnie. I just can't do that. Not yet, anyway. I just need you to trust me, all right?"

Bonnie nodded and began to open her mouth to speak again, but I shook my head, "Please, Bonnie. Not here. Not now. Come over my house later today, okay? I promise you, I'll talk to you there. I just don't feel comfortable discussing anything of that nature here."

Bonnie nodded once again, "Okay, I understand. I'll see you tonight." She looked at me curiously for a second before turning to leave the bathroom. As the door swung shut, I exhaled the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding in. I couldn't put it off any longer. I had to face Damon and end this once and for all.

When I was calm enough to leave the bathroom, I immediately began to search for Stefan. I couldn't find him anywhere and after twenty minutes of looking, I found Elena.

"Elena, have you seen Stefan?" I asked, my eyes roaming the hallways as I spoke.

"Yeah, he was just about to leave. Is everything okay?" she asked worriedly.

I smiled, appreciating her concern, "Everything's fine, I just really need to get my chemistry notes back."

"Oh, okay," she said, relaxing her features, "Hey, do you want to come over for dinner tonight? I'm inviting Stefan and Bonnie in an attempt to let them get to know each other."

"Sure, what time?" I asked.

"Um, come over anytime after six," Elena replied.

"Okay, see you then, bye," I called as I raced out of the school to catch up with Stefan.

I was in luck. Mr. Tanner was standing in the field talking to him, and I hurried over. They had just finished their conversation, and Mr. Tanner was walking away. "Is everything okay? You're looking a little rough, there."

"Take me to him," I ordered.

"Take you to who?" he asked, unsure of what I was getting at.

"Take me to Damon. I'm going to rip his heart right out of his chest," I snarled, "Where is he?"

"Hold on, hold on, what happened?" Stefan asked, grabbing both of my arms and looking into my eyes.

"He's - He's using her as his play thing!" I exclaimed, "He's got to be stopped, Stefan."

"Using who?"

"Caroline!"

Stefan nodded slowly, "All right. Let's go see if he's at my house."

"Okay," I said, leading both of us to my car.

I sped all the way to his house and slammed the car door as I got out and stomped to the Salvatore house. Stefan was right behind me and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of me, opening the door to the house.

He disappeared from my side and in about thirty seconds, he was back at my side, "He's not here."

"How convenient," I muttered, "Damn, I have to go over to my house to wait for Bonnie. You're going to Elena's tonight, right?"

"Yeah," Stefan responded.

"All right, if you want a ride, come by after six, okay?"

"Sure, see you then," Stefan said, half-smiling.

The time seemed to drag on forever while I was waiting for Bonnie to arrive. Everytime I closed my eyes I could see Damon biting Caroline, I saw him kissing her, them in her bed...

I did everything I could to keep myself distracted. I took a shower, I cleaned, I watched tv, I changed outfits about fourteen times. I was starting to run out of things to do, when, lucky for me, the doorbell rang. I rushed downstairs to answer it, and Bonnie entered the house uneasily. I offered her something to eat or drink, but she declined, and just followed me to the living room couch.

"Okay, spill," Bonnie said, looking straight into my big, dark eyes.

"I'm a witch," I told her flatly, "And I know you are, too. But I also know you haven't been one very long. I can help you, Bonnie. I can show you how to control it."

"I can't believe this is all real," Bonnie said, shaking her head, "I was kind of hoping you'd slap me and call me a moron."

"I could do that, anyway," I joked, "It can be really easy to see this as a curse, Bonnie. Just try to look at it as a gift, okay?"

"I'll try," Bonnie said unconvincingly.

"If you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm here," I told her sincerely.

"Thanks," she nodded with a half-smile, "I appreciate it."

"So nobody else knows about you?" I asked.

"I told Elena and Caroline that my grams said I was psychic," she explained, "But they probably think I'm screwing with them. They don't know I'm a - a witch. Do they know about you? And if you say yes, I'm likely to get offended that I was the last to know."

"They don't know a thing. I've kept this hidden as long as I've known you guys. You're the first one to know," I said honestly, "You're gonna be at Elena's tonight, right?"

"Yeah," she said unenthusiastically.

"Don't get too excited, I don't want you wetting your pants," I said sarcastically.

Bonnie rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry, Ashley. I just get a really bad feeling. I know he hasn't said or done anything to make me feel this way, but it's just an instinct."

Bonnie and I talked for hours. Eventually, the conversation stopped being about our supernatural connection and drifted off into normal teenage things. Like gossip, parties, all the good stories we had saved up from the two years we spent apart, and of course, guys.

"How come you didn't go for Stefan?" she questioned.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Well, every girl that sees him throws themselves at him or stares at him like a piece of filet mignon. Shit, even I did it. Why didn't you?"

"Well, I had met him a while before any of the rest of you, so I got over the initial shock of his God-like good looks. Besides, Stefan's become like a brother to me. It's never going to be like that for us, and I wouldn't want it to. We have a really great friendship and I'd never compromise it. I wouldn't want to lose him, you know? Besides, don't you see how happy he makes Elena? She deserves it," I said sincerely.

Bonnie looked thoughtful for a minute or so, and then smiled, "I'm going to head over to Elena's. Do you want me to drive you?"

"Nah, it's okay, thanks. I just want to freshen up a little first, and I have to wait for Stefan to be ready, but I'll see you there later," I said, walking her to the door.

"Okay, see you soon," she said, closing the door behind her.

I went up to my room and spritzed myself with a little perfume. I touched up my makeup a bit and ran a brush through my hair. Then, I pulled my car out of the driveway and in front of Stefan's house. I honked the horn and absently started going through my phone as I waited. Two minutes later, Stefan was hopping in the car, and we were off to Elena's.

I parked outside of Elena's house and walked up to her front door. I knocked and a moment later, Elena opened the door. They all greeted one another and the first couple of minutes following our hellos were nothing short of awkward.

Soon enough, we ate, and I was just thankful that I had an excuse not to try and make conversation. I felt terrible as Elena tried to make conversation and Bonnie basically blew it off. I never thought Bonnie could be so openly rude. Soon enough, we finished eating, and I excused myself to go to the bathroom. As I closed the bathroom door shut behind me, I could've sworn I heard Caroline's voice. I hurried down the steps and smiled at her, "Hey, Car, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I just thought I'd drop by," she said casually.

"Good, I'm glad you did," I said, giving her a hug, "I'll be right back, I need a drink."

I walked past her into the kitchen and as soon as I did, I felt my entire body tense up. There he was, standing right by Elena's kitchen table. His light eyes met my dark ones and all I could do was stare motionlessly. After all this time we were finally face to face.

I cocked my head to the side and forced a smile, "You must be Damon. I'm Ashley."

**So, what did everyone think? I'd really love to hear some opinions! I'll try to get another chapter up sometime tomorrow. **


	5. Reunion

**this took about a week to get up. i have a ridiculous amount of people viewing this story and quite a few people have signed up for alerts or favorited it, and yet i still have my one whole review. a little feedback here and there is very much appreciated. i'll even take suggestions if someone has a really good idea that i can work into the story. but please let me know what you think so i don't feel like i'm wasting my time here. thanks.**

Reunion

His eyes were burning holes into me. He was even better looking then I had remembered. The silence was positively deafening. I wanted to run away, but I held my ground. I couldn't let him get the satisfaction. If I didn't know better, I would've thought he was in the same boat as me. I was kind of proud of myself for keeping my voice so level when I spoke to him. At least I managed to say something. He was still just staring at me.

"Yeah. I-It's nice to meet you, Ashley," he said, his eyes wide with shock and confusion. Then, he seemed to snap out of it, because the weird look on his face vanished.

I walked right past him and shot a look at Elena, "Please tell me you have hard liquor."

"Right here," she said, opening a cabinet and handing me a bottle. I didn't even read the label. I just opened it and drank. I could still feel Damon's eyes following me around the room. Did he know it was me? Or was he just astonished by the resembelance? In a way, I felt bad for him. First he comes face to face with Katherine's non-evil twin, and now he think he's found Gabriella's. The difference is, Katherine and Elena were two entirely separate individuals. Gabriella and I were the same person. That girl was still very much a part of me. "Let's go into the living room," Elena said, leaving the room with Bonnie, Caroline, and Stefan. Damon stayed exactly where he was, his eyes not leaving my face.

"Something on my face?" I asked casually.

He squinted his eyes, as if trying to decide if I was pretending to not know him, "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Let's cut the act now, Damon," I said, rolling my eyes, "It's me."

I couldn't believe the reaction I received from him. He began to smile and his eyes grew wide. They almost looked watery for a moment, "H-How? How is it possible?" he walked closer to me and touched my face, "Is it really you, Gabriella?"

Something inside of me broke. After everything I knew he did, I still had feelings for him. The way he spoke, the way he said my name, the shock in his face and voice, it was all too much. "Yes, it's me," I said, moving his hand from my face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Please, don't treat me like an idiot, Damon," I said, crossing my arms over my chest, "It's not the 1800's anymore, Damon. And you're not the man I fell in love with. Let's not act like no time has passed. We're both different people," I hardened my voice, to let him know I meant business, "I want you to leave Caroline alone."

"In love?" he repeated.

"Is that all you took away from my statement?" I demanded.

"You loved me?" Damon asked, staring into my eyes.

I nodded my head, "I loved you. But none of that matters anymore because you've become the very thing I've always despised. Damon, I swear to God, if you don't leave Caroline alone - "

"You'll what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement, "You are human, aren't you? So what exactly will you do?"

"I'll drive a stake straight through your heart," I said without missing a beat.

"You couldn't," he said simply.

"Don't test me, Damon," I warned him, "I'm not going to stand by and watch you hurt my friends."

"You don't have the power to kill me," he scoffed.

"Try me," I said, "I don't even need vervain to weaken you. In case you've forgotten," I squinted my eyes and concentrated on him.

"Oww! Ahhh!" he grasped at his chest and his knees buckled.

"I mean it, Damon," I told him angrily, "Stay away from her."

I turned to walk out of the room but in an instant, he was standing in the doorway, blocking me. "Move, Damon."

"Who do you think you're kidding, Gabriella?" he questioned, "You couldn't hurt me anymore than I could hurt you."

"Everytime you compel Caroline, everytime you put your dick inside of her, everytime you drink her blood, you're hurting me, Damon. She's my _friend_? Are you really so far gone that you can't see that? If I knew what you were going to become, I wouldn't have wasted nearly a century trying to find you!" I covered my hands with my face and shook my head.

"You did what?" he asked gently.

"Nevermind, it doesn't matter," I said, throwing my hands in the air, "None of it matters anymore."

I pushed past him and stormed back into the living room, "Look, Elena, I gotta go, all right? I'm sorry, dinner was great. Thanks for having me. I'll call you tomorrow. Can you give Stefan a ride home?"

"Sure, no problem," Elena nodded, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine, I just - I need to go. Bye."

I ran from the house and I didn't look back. I held back tears my entire way home. I had wasted enough tears on Damon Salvatore over the years. I couldn't waste anymore. I couldn't bear the thought of going into a big, empty house, so I sat on the porch swing and looked up at the stars. After about an hour, I saw Stefan getting out of a car. Elena drove off, and he walked up the steps to my front porch.

"Are you okay?"

"I wasted eight decades trying to find him, Stefan," I croaked, "I held onto him for all this time and for what? He's everything I despise."

He put his arm around me as he sat down, "If it counts for anything, I can't remember the last time I saw him that way."

"What way?" I asked, turning to meet his eyes.

He thought for a second, "Human."

"There's nothing human about him," I snarled, "Nothing redeemable. He thought it was all a big joke, Stefan!"

"Did he know it was you?" he asked.

"He thought it was, but he couldn't be sure," I answered numbly, "When he saw me, I swear, I saw emotion in there. But then it's like he flipped a switch..."

And then, from across the street, I saw Damon walking towards the house. He stopped in his tracks and looked at the two of us. His features became hard as he stalked over to us.

"I need to know how," he demanded, looking at me with an expression I couldn't identify, "I need to know how you're here."

"Are you going to stay away from Caroline? And all the rest of them, for that matter?" I asked.

Damon cast Stefan a menacing look, "Give us a minute, won't you, baby brother?"

Stefan didn't move.

"It's okay, Stefan. You don't have to worry."

He nodded, turned around, and walked in the opposite direction.

When Stefan was out of earshot, Damon thought for a moment, looked me in the eye, and said, "I'll do anything."

I took a deep breath and told him the same thing I had told Stefan a few months earlier. "You looked for me?" he asked.

"For eighty years and two lives," I sighed, "Imagine my disappointment when I found out what you had become. Can I ask you something?"

He nodded.

"Why are you here, Damon? Why did you come back to Mystic Falls? I'll know if you're lying," I added.

His eyes grew wide, "I can't - "

"I didn't really expect you to," I sighed.

"How could your father kill you?" he asked, shaking his head.

"I could ask you the same question," I shot back.

"Touché," he said with a smirk, "Look, Gabriella - "

"It's Ashley now, Damon. You need to get out of that habit. If people hear you calling me Gabriella, what will they think?"

"Right," he said, biting his lip, "Ashley. So, what, you live here now?"

"I lived here up until about two years ago. I just moved back a few months ago," I informed him.

"So, why did _you_ come back to Mystic Falls?" he wanted to know.

"You don't honestly expect me to answer that, do you?" I asked in disbelief.

"I had to try, didn't I?" he asked with a grin, "You don't seem to be enjoying our little reunion."

"What happened to you?" I whispered, "How did you become like this?"

"Like what?" he asked.

"A monster," I provided, "And don't blame it on being a vampire, because I was one too, and you know what? I was able to control myself. We both know you can, Damon. You just don't want to. You're making a choice to be a monster, and I can't overlook that."

"You - A vampire?" he was genuinely interested, "When - How?"

"It's not important," I muttered, "What do you care?" I had begun to raise my voice, and I could feel myself losing control "I spent a lifetime regretting that I ever let you walk away. And now I don't even know why. You don't deserve to know why I couldn't come back for you. I tried, Damon, but I didn't have a choice. Just forget it, okay? It was a long time ago. None of it matters anymore."

Damon's facial expression softened. I could tell that he was struggling to find something to say. It seemed as though there was something he wanted to say, but was forcing himself not to.

"Look, Damon, I have to go," I said, turning around to go into my house.

I felt him grab my wrist and spin me back around, "Not so fast."

And then it happened again. I saw a series of images: Damon holding my dead body in his arms, tears streaming down his face, Damon's face as a casket was lowered into the ground, Damon in an army uniform, looking at a photo of us. I gasped in shock and jumped back on reflex. Damon put his hands on my arms and held me still.

"What was that?"

"It was nothing," I lied.

"I shouldn't even have to remind you, I wasn't born yesterday," he said softly.

I rolled my eyes, "What do you _think_ it was?"

"A vision?"

"Nothing gets by you, Damon," I said sarcastically.

"Well, obviously it had to do with me, so I have a right to know," he said, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly.

"You can never let anything go, can you?" I asked, shaking my head.

"Nope," he said simply, "What'd you see? Did you stake me?" he joked.

"It wasn't of the future," I said defeatedly.

"The past?" Damon asked, "Slightly less interesting, but I'm still curious."

"Of course you are," I sighed, "Fine, you really want to know? I saw how you stumbled upon my dead corpse, I saw you at my funeral, and I saw when you were in the army looking at that picture of us from the Founder's party. Are you happy?"

He looked slightly taken aback, but found his composure quickly, "You can't say I didn't care."

"That was back when you could still care," I reminded him, "You're nothing but an empty shell now. Which is okay when the only person it harms is yourself, but it effects other people, Damon."

He shrugged, "Sucks to be other people, I guess."

"Go home, Damon," I said, putting my hands on my hips.

"Aw, but we were all ready to take a stroll down memory lane," Damon said, feigning disappointment.

"I wish I _had_ fallen for Stefan," I growled, opening my front door and slamming it in his face. I didn't even bother to get a look at his reaction.

I had always been the kind of person who held a lot of things inside. I talked to people about my petty problems, but I held in all of the things that truly bothered me. For the first time, I wanted to talk to somebody about everything that was happening, but I couldn't. I mean, sure, I had Stefan, which was great, but let's face it; the guy was about 160 years old. It could be argued that I was an old soul as well, but it was different. He's lived the same life for the past 160 years. I had to be born and grow up eight different times. I had basically been through everything there was to go through. But sometimes I just wanted normal. I wanted a normal seventeen-year old girl to give me her normal seventeen-year old girl opinions. But I could never tell my normal seventeen-year old girl friends anything. Even if by some miracle they didn't throw me in the trunk and drop me off at the closest mental insitution, they could never really understand. I hated having to keep so many secrets. I hated the fact that nobody truly knew who I was, even though they all believed otherwise.

This was the reason I tried not to get close to anybody. Soon enough, they would all be dead, and I would be starting from scratch all over again. New family, new friends, new town, new life. I never admitted it to anybody, but back in the 1800s, when I became a vampire, I was relieved in a strange way. Once I got over the initial shock, the only thing I could think was that I would never have to be reborn again. I could remain Gabriella forever. If only I had forseen getting killed so early on in the game.

I was on my way to english class when I overheard Caroline's voice from the other side of the hallway. I stood still and listened as carefully as I could, "He's such a jerk. I haven't seen him or heard from him in two days. I don't get it," she complained.

"You don't need him," Bonnie said comfortingly, "Sure, he was gorgeous, but you could do much better, Car."

I smiled to myself, satisfied. I wasn't sure whether or not to expect Damon to keep his word, but I could only assume that he had.

"Ash?"

I spun around nervously, paranoid that somebody had noticed I was eavesdropping. "Oh, hey, Elena."

"Are you ever planning to talk to me about whatever made you freak out the other night? Or are we just going to keep pretending like it didn't happen?"

"Um, the second one?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and gave me a blank stare.

"Sorry," I groaned, "I've just had a really weird week."

"Did it have something to do with Damon?" she inquired further, "because you were fine before he got there, and then as soon as he arrived you bailed. And the way he looked at you... There's something you're not telling me."

"I wonder if Caroline's mom is aware that there's a new sheriff in town," I said weakly, trying to change the subject.

"I'm not going to drop it," Elena stated, foiling my plans.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" I demanded.

She raised an eyebrow, amused, "Are _you _questioning _my_ stubborness?"

I rolled my eyes, "Very funny,"

"So, what's the deal? Had you met Damon before that night?" Elena continued.

Suddenly, an idea came to me, "Yes," I answered simply.

She looked taken aback, as if she hadn't really expected me to answer her question. She recovered quickly and grinned, "See? I knew it."

"Congratulations, Detective Gilbert. I'm sure they'll make you sheriff of the year for cracking that one."

Now Elena rolled her eyes, "Very funny," she said, mocking me, "So, is that all you're going to reveal? How about the question you and I both know I'm dying to ask?'

I exhaled loudly, openly displaying my reluctance to discuss the topic, "I met him a long time ago. Right after the move. We didn't end things on great terms."

"What a small word," Elena said thoughtfully, "So, do I get details?"

I shook my head, "Look, Elena, I never told anyone about him. I can't talk about it because I can't think about it. I've spent the last few years trying as hard as I could to block the memories of him out of my mind, and now that it's finally started to work, here he is. It's just too much for me."

Elena's expression softened and I could see our joking time was over. She had morphed into serious, compassionate, good friend Elena. She gave me a sympathetic half-smile and nodded understandingly, "It's okay, Ashley. You don't have to talk about it unless you want you."

I smiled back, "Thanks for the permission."

She playfully smacked me on the arm, "I'm trying to be a good friggin person here and I'd appreciate it if you didn't tease me."

"I can't help it," I shrugged, "It comes more naturally than breathing."

I went straight home that afternoon. As much as I didn't feel like being alone, I knew I wouldn't get any homework or studying done if I were to hang out with my friends. I couldn't afford that, seeing as I had two exams tomorrow, and about three hours worth of homework to get done. I had an essay I really should've started, but it wasn't due until Thursday, which gave me two days.

I was the kind of student who worked extremely well under pressure. I did every assignment the night before, and never received less than a 90 on any work I handed in. My only weakness was math. Numbers and I just didn't see eye to eye. One of my biggest problems in school was my attention span. I lost interest in things very quickly. So, as you could imagine, after my first hour of studying, I was dying for a distraction. Be careful what you wish for.

Just then, there was a knock at the front door. I put down the pen and crossed the room to the front door. When I opened it, my face fell.

"You know, I'm starting to forget what your smile looks like," Damon said, imitating my frown.

"What do you want, Damon?" I said robotically.

"You know, there was a time where seeing me was the highlight of you day," he reminded me.

"There was also a time where I walked around in diapers singing 'You Are My Sunshine'. Things change, Damon. Now what is it you want?"

"You know," he began, and I moaned, realizing he wasn't going away anytime soon, "it's terrible manners to not invite a guest in."

"You're not a guest," I countered, "No, I'm pretty sure you have to be human to be considered a guest."

"Always using my lack of humanity against me," Damon said, shaking his head in disapproval, "Is that all you have on me?"

"Well, I could've pointed out that haircut, but it kind of speaks for itself."

"Are we in a bad mood today?" Damon asked.

"I'm closing the door now," I announced, and did exactly that. I began to walk back to my books, when he began banging on the door again. I decided to ignore it. He'd get bored and leave eventually. I just had to be patient.

"I can do this all day, Ashley," I heard him yell, "I have an eternity."

As much as I wanted to open the door and give him a piece of my mind, I knew this was the better plan. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction. He wanted me to go out there and yell at him. It would send a much stronger message if I just pretended he didn't exist.

I carried out my plan to shun Damon for the next 38 minutes and 49 seconds. Once that 49th second became 50, I lost it. I raced across the room and threw open the door, "What the fuck could you possibly want from me, Damon? What the fuck is so important that you had to spend the last 40 minutes banging on that door? Do you have nobody else to torment? What, I took away your play thing and now you're bored, so you're looking for a new prey? Shit!"

"Fiesty," he said, giving me a wink, "I like fiesty."

"What are you doing here, Damon? Do you enjoy making me miserable? Is it a new hobby of yours? I must say, its a step up from sucking blood from all the neighborhood girls, but it still needs a little work."

"So, based on everything you've said to me since we've had our little reunion, I'm going to assume you're no longer interested in me?"

I could literally feel my eyes bulging out of my head, "Not only is there absolutely no chance of me ever being 'interested' in you, but there's not even a chance that we can be friends."

"So, what you're saying is, if I stop feeding on your friends and neighbors, I have a shot?" he joked.

"That doesn't change all the things you've already done, Damon. Unless you've mastered time travel and can undo all the lives you've ruined. I can understand mistakes, I can understand not being able to control yourself in the beginning, I understand revenge, and I understand self-defense. But for fun? The old you never would've been able to live with yourself. How could you expect me to?"

"Well, it's a good thing I have a plan B then," Damon muttered under his breath.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I questioned.

"You'll see," he said mysteriously, "But before I begin my plan B, I'll give you one last chance to change your mind."

I laughed in his face, "Its been over a century and a half, Damon. I'm over it and I'm over you. So run along and do your plotting somewhere else because I really couldn't care less."

He actually looked hurt for a brief moment. Then, he brushed it off and smirked again, "Which one of us are you trying to convince, anyway?"

"If I close my door again, will you just keep knocking again? Or don't you have someone else to torment? I know I took Caroline off the table, but you can still make Elena feel insecure or make Stefan wish he were dead."

"Really? You wouldn't mind?" he asked eagerly.

"Leave them alone," I said, rolling my eyes in disgust.

"You know what, I actually do have something I could be doing," Damon said thoughtfully, "I'll be seeing you later."

"Don't threaten me, Damon!" I yelled after him, slamming the door shut as hard as I could.


End file.
